Nine Years
by crochetaway
Summary: Nine years after the war, Hermione and Fred finally get it figured out. AU for obvious reasons. Oneshot. Complete.


**A/N: This started as a Romione plunny. Then I sat down to write it and wrinkled my brow, deciding it ought to be Fremione instead. So there you go. It also started with the LANCO song Greatest Love Story. That's where the idea came from, but as you can see, it diverged greatly from there. Anyway, I couldn't get words for any of my WIP's out, and this was begging to be written instead. The is AU for obvious reasons, Fred is alive, etc. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

* * *

Hermione sighed as she looked around her lonely flat, her eyes fell on the photo of her and Fred from her fifth year. She smiled sadly as she watched him tug one of her curls and she threw her head back laughing at some joke he had told. She missed him. Merlin, she missed him more and more everyday. But would he want to see her? She didn't know. She didn't think so. She kept up with him and George in the papers. They were doing well, opening shops all over Great Britain. But they hadn't left things that well back after the war had ended.

" _If it's what you want," Fred said woodenly as Hermione finished packing her trunk. She had just sat her NEWTs, the war had been over for six months. They shouldn't have been having this fight. This was when they were supposed to be happy, but Hermione didn't feel happy. She felt trapped and stuck._

" _It's what I need," she said quietly._

" _Right," Fred replied, not meeting her eyes._

" _I'm sorry," she whispered._

" _Me too."_

 _Hermione left then, she left the Burrow and left Britain. She went to Australia to find her parents. Then complete her education at the wizarding Uni in Melbourne. Fred had begged her to stay, but Hermione knew she couldn't. She had to get out of Britain. She had to heal from the war and reconnect with her parents if she could._

Hermione shook herself from her memories. It didn't matter now, eight years after she left, she was finally back in Britain. Back in London even. Her parents had stayed in Australia, preferring the weather there and Hermione had been happy to have a reason to go back. If things didn't go well in London. She tried not to think about why they wouldn't work out. About what that would mean.

Right now, she needed dinner, she decided. She'd finally got everything unpacked and was ready to begin her new job on Monday morning. She'd studied to become a mind-Healer in Australia, an equivalent to a Muggle neurologist. It had taken a specialized mind-Healer to reverse the Obliviate spell Hermione had cast on her parents, and she had been inspired.

Hermione donned a jean jacket as she left her apartment above Florean Fortescue's. She'd been pleased to see it had been rebuilt under the same name, although with a new owner. A chippy had opened up a few doors down and Hermione was in the mood for classic London takeaway. Melbourne didn't have anything on the food London offered.

"'Mione?"

She turned and found Fred staring right at her. The look on his face was a mixture of sadness, hope, and incredulity.

"Hi, Fred," she smiled at him. Circe, how she had missed him. She took in everything she could, he was still so much taller than her, and thinner, than he had been. She frowned when she noticed that. He was dressed in a very dapper suit, he had either given up the garish dress of his twin or he was going somewhere special. Her breath caught, he was probably going on a date. A date with someone who wasn't her. She swallowed hard and tried to keep her smile friendly, to keep the tears at bay.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I just moved back," Hermione said. "Yesterday. I'm starting at Mungo's on Monday."

"Right," Fred said tightly, looking away from her. Hermione could see the tension in his jaw. She wanted to ask him… she shook her head. She gave up that right eight years ago.

"You look good, Fred," Hermione's smile softened. He did look good, his hair was longer, like Bill's, tied back in a small queue.

He turned back toward her and the amount of hurt and pain in his eyes caused Hermione to gasp, she stepped forward and laid a hand on his arm.

Fred blinked at her and the hurt was gone, he grinned, but it didn't reach his eyes. He looked almost manic.

Hermione stepped back again and half turned away. Clearly, he was on his way somewhere.

"I'm just going up to the chippy," she said and gestured to the shop a few doors down.

"Right," Fred nodded. "I've got a thing. See you around." And he walked off.

"Right," Hermione murmured as she watched him go. She blinked back the tears that were threatening to fall and turned back toward the chippy. It had been her choice, she had nobody but herself to blame.

* * *

A week later, Hermione had just gotten out of the bath after a long day at the hospital when someone pounded on her door. She wrapped her robe around herself and hurried to see who it was. She hadn't even gotten a chance to tell anyone where she lived, so she couldn't imagine who was calling on her.

When she opened the door, Fred stood there with a six-pack of butterbeer and a bag of takeaway in his hand.

"Can I come in?" he asked.

Hermione nodded and gestured him inside. "Let me change." She hurried back to her bedroom and quickly pulled on a pair of denims and an old Gryffindor Quidditch sweater. One of Fred's actually, she had loved wearing them at Hogwarts, and she cherished the few she still had. She rolled up the long sleeves as she made her way back out to the main room to see Fred setting the table.

"I hope curry's, alright?" Fred asked as he levitated plates and silverware to her table.

"Yeah," Hermione said.

Fred turned toward her and gasped, "You still…"

"Yeah," Hermione smiled. "It's warm."

Fred grinned broadly at her, "Good."

They set into the food and Fred told her everything he had been up to in the last eight years, every shop he'd opened and his favorite products he and George had come up with. Hermione enjoyed hearing about their brilliance and was pleased they were doing so well.

"Do you still tend the shop?" Hermione asked.

Fred shrugged, "Sometimes. I prefer to tinker in the back though," he shrugged. "George is the showman."

Hermione smiled. "It's good to see you."

"You too."

* * *

Fred kept showing up at Hermione's flat with dinner in hand. It started out as once or twice a week, now it was up to five or six times a week. Hermione had been back in London for six months. He hadn't asked her out. They hadn't kissed even. But the dinners seemed to have taken on a date-like quality. They had started casual enough, and then Fred had surprised her by cooking for her once, insisting she dress up for the occasion. And now, every Saturday night he cooked for her.

Today was a Saturday and Hermione was under the weather. She'd slept on and off all day on her sofa and had considered owling Fred to not show up. She decided she'd do it the next time she woke up and she fell back asleep again.

She woke to a pounding on her door. Hermione rubbed her bleary eyes and looked at the clock, it was six, right when Fred showed up every week. She grumbled as she stood from the sofa and crossed the room to the door.

Throwing it open she groused, "Don't you have a date or something?"

"Er…" Fred trailed off, he was holding a bouquet of flowers and was dressed in a Muggle suit. "I was sort of hoping you'd be my date."

"Oh, gods, Fred," Hermione rubbed her forehead, "I'm sorry. I'm not feeling well today, come in." She stepped back from the door and let him into the apartment.

"Well, in that case, a night in is required," Fred said decisively. He summoned a vase for the flowers and headed to the kitchen. Hermione laid back down on the couch as another sneezing fit overtook her.

Fred banged around in the kitchen for a while, before coming out with a bowl of soup. Hermione smiled at him in thanks.

"You don't have to stay," she shrugged. "Surely, you can find something better to do on a Saturday night."

"Hermione," Fred said, pulling the bowl of soup out of her hands so she had to look at him. "I've been coming 'round to your flat almost every day for six months. What else do you think I'd have to do tonight?"

Hermione blushed, "I don't know, a date or something. Surely you have other friends."

"A date? The only person I want to date is here, with me, right now," Fred raised his eyebrows and Hermione closed her eyes.

"Truly?" she asked opening them once more.

"Yes," Fred said plaintively. He leaned in and Hermione was sure he was going to kiss her, but she sneezed rather violently.

Fred laughed, "Let's get you fed and tucked into bed."

* * *

Six months after that, Fred proposed. They still hadn't kissed.

"I don't think…" Hermione trailed off gazing at the ring in Fred's hand. She desperately wanted to say yes, but they hadn't even kissed yet.

"Tell me you don't want this and I'll leave," Fred said quietly. His voice so uncharacteristically quiet and pensive.

"Oh, Merlin, I want to say yes, but Fred…" she couldn't even voice her fear. What if they didn't fit together like they had? It had been nine years now.

"Is it about the kissing?" Fred asked and Hermione nodded. She chanced a peek at his face and he was grinning widely. "Do you think that explosive chemistry we had as teenagers has somehow disappeared?"

Hermione shrugged, it's not like she had a lot of dating experience in her life. She'd gone on a few dates during Uni but had mostly concentrated on her schoolwork. And then since being back in London, Fred had monopolized her time, she hadn't wanted to see anyone else. Even if they'd never defined their feelings.

Fred wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him. She lifted her chin to look him in the eye as he lowered his lips to hers. The faintest brush and Hermione felt a spark travel from her lips through her body. Energizing her. She wrapped her arms around Fred's shoulders and pulled him close, deepening the kiss. She couldn't, wouldn't ever get enough.

Breaking the kiss, Fred pecked his way along her jaw to her ear, "Is that a yes?"

"Merlin, yes!" Hermione cried as he pulled the lobe of her ear into his mouth. Her knees weakened and her heart soared. How could she have forgotten this? How could she have left this nine years ago? She was insane to have given up this chance at happiness.

"Thank the gods," Fred murmured to her, pulling her tighter to his chest. Hermione hummed her agreement.

* * *

 **365 Prompt Challenge:** 308\. Time - Dinnertime

 **Insane House Challenge:** 30\. Character - Fred Weasley


End file.
